UNSCRIPTED

What does it really take to lead a high-performing frontline service team?

In the first episode of Frontline Unscripted, host Sarah Nicastro sits down with Phil Manchester, Service Team Lead at Airtight Facilities, to explore the transition from technician to leader, why frontline voices matter, and how ambitious goals can transform both individuals and teams.

Phil Manchester has over a decade of hands-on experience in HVAC systems and facilities management. After starting his career as a technician in the field, he now leads a team of service professionals while mentoring the next generation of technicians.

In this conversation, he explains:

▪️Why transitioning from technician to leader requires emotional intelligence
▪️How individualized communication builds trust with service technicians
▪️What younger vs experienced frontline workers really want from leadership
▪️Why refusing to live with “what ifs” can fuel long-term career growth
▪️How frontline work combines hands-on skills with complex problem solving
▪️Why senior leaders need to get into the field and listen to frontline voices
▪️How AI and technology are becoming tools that make technicians more effective
▪️Why continuous learning is essential in skilled trades careers

00:00 Intro
00:02 From Dirt Bikes to HVAC: Finding Your Calling
00:06 Why Variety and Problem-Solving Drive Frontline Satisfaction
00:10 The Hardest Part of Leadership: Managing Nine Different Personalities
00:12 Master Emotional Intelligence to Shift from Technician to Leader
00:18 Why Leadership Must Be Individualized
00:21 Why Not Shoot for the Moon? Setting Goals and Refusing to Quit
00:26 Turning Setbacks Into Fuel by Rejecting “What-If” Thinking
00:30 Generational Differences in Frontline Teams
00:35 Company Culture That Builds Stronger Teams
00:37 AI and Technology in Skilled Trades
00:40 Why Data Centers Are Creating More HVAC Work
00:47 Closing the Gap Between Executives and the Field
00:50 Building Trust and Loyalty Through Leadership
00:52 Why Learning Never Stops in the Trades
00:53 Final Thoughts: Shoot for the Moon, One Day at a Time

Self-care isn’t selfish. Leadership expert Hannah Knowles explains why taking care of yourself first might be the most powerful leadership decision you can make.

In this International Women’s Day episode of UNSCRIPTED, Hannah Knowles joins host Sarah Nicastro to discuss self-care, women in leadership, resilience, and navigating change in today’s workplace.

Hannah Knowles is a keynote speaker at Art of Brilliance, a wellbeing training company focused on helping individuals and teams move from surviving to thriving. She is also the coauthor of Love Notes, a collection of reflections and insights about what gives our lives meaning: love.

She explains:

• Why self-care isn’t selfish and makes you a better leader
• The “Give to Gain” paradox and why prioritising yourself benefits others
• Why consistency beats intensity when building habits
• How noticing “glimmers” can shift your mindset and wellbeing
• The Kaizen approach to creating meaningful change through small steps
• Why leaders should focus on what they can control during uncertainty
• How vulnerability and honesty build stronger teams
• Why perspective shapes how people respond to change
• The leadership power of saying “I’ll go first”
• Why celebrating progress matters more than chasing perfection

Follow along:

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:00 Meet Hannah Knowles and the Art of Brilliance mission
• 04:00 Why self-care shouldn’t feel selfish
• 07:30 Consistency beats intensity when building habits
• 10:45 Why women often struggle to prioritise themselves
• 15:10 The concept of “glimmers” and finding everyday joy
• 19:30 The Kaizen mindset and the power of small steps
• 24:30 Eat, move, sleep, relationships — the foundations of wellbeing
• 29:00 Why perspective shapes how we respond to change
• 34:20 Leading through uncertainty and supporting teams
• 39:30 Why vulnerability is a leadership strength
• 45:00 The “I’ll go first” leadership mindset
• 50:30 Celebrating progress instead of perfection

Follow Sarah Nicastro on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhowland/

Subscribe to The Insider Newsletter:
https://www.futureoffieldservice.com/the-insider/

Follow Future of Field Service on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-of-field-service/

Learn more about the UNSCRIPTED podcast:
https://futureoffieldservice.com

In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, Sarah Nicastro sits down with Sasha Ilyukhin, SVP of Global Processing Services & Services Solutions at Tetra Pak, for a candid conversation about what it truly takes to unlock service growth at scale.

Grounded in new research from Future of Field Service in partnership with Simon-Kucher, this discussion moves beyond theory to explore how one global leader has turned service ambition into measurable business outcomes.

While 85% of service leaders say they are optimistic about growth, only 2% have successfully delivered outcome-based services at scale. Sasha shares how Tetra Pak has spent more than a decade building the trust, capabilities, and commercial models required to transform service into a €2.2B business — with half delivered through long-term, performance-based agreements.

This episode explores what it really takes to evolve from traditional support models to outcome-driven service partnerships that create lasting value for both customers and providers.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• How Tetra Pak evolved from a la carte services to outcome-based partnerships
• Why service growth should be anchored in customer value realization, not revenue targets
• The connection between employee experience, service quality, and long-term retention
• How digital platforms like Factory OS enable efficiency, sustainability, and workforce transformation
• What organizations must do to move beyond the “2%” of outcome-based service offerings
• Why workforce shortages, travel reduction, and knowledge management can become strategic advantages

Sasha also challenges leaders to rethink how value is identified, captured, and shared. Every service already delivers outcomes — the question is whether companies are structured to recognize and monetize that value effectively.

If you’re navigating the shift from transactional field service models to strategic service partnerships, this episode offers practical guidance, real-world lessons, and a compelling vision for the future of service.

Because in the end, as Sasha puts it:
“You sell equipment once. Customers come back for the service experience.”

📩 Subscribe for more conversations on service transformation, field service leadership, and the future of service.

What if the difference between good and great in your organization came down to one overlooked factor?

In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, host Sarah Nicastro sits down with Josh Zolin, CEO of Windy City Equipment and author of Blue is the New White, to unpack why soft skills drive hard results and how failing to invest in them could be costing you far more than you realize.

From a 250% ROI on soft skills training (backed by research from Harvard, Boston University, and the University of Michigan) to the real reason your best technician might fail as a leader, this conversation dives deep into the hidden financial and cultural impact of communication, empathy, accountability, and leadership development.

If you lead in field service, skilled trades, manufacturing, or frontline operations, this episode is packed with practical, implementable insights.

In Episode 354 of UNSCRIPTED, we explore how QuidelOrtho transformed field service from a cost center into a strategic business differentiator. Matt Tice, VP of Global Services, shares six practical strategies for driving customer retention, gaining executive leadership buy-in, aligning KPIs with customer expectations, strengthening frontline leadership, and leveraging AI to elevate the customer experience.

If you’re a service leader looking to reposition service as a growth engine, not just a post-sale function, this episode delivers actionable insights you can apply immediately.

Sometimes maximizing asset value is less about short-term optimization and more about building resilience over decades. In this episode of Assets UNSCRIPTED, host Berend Booms speaks with Markus Göring, Director of Asset Value Controlling at Vattenfall, about why resilience has become astrategic priority for asset-intensive organizations operating in an increasingly uncertain world.

They explore where organizations most commonly lose assetvalue across the lifecycle, why risk-based maintenance is not optional but foundational to staying in control, and how deliberately balancing performance, cost, and risk over time is what ultimately creates resilient operations. Markus shares a pragmatic view on the realities of data and AI in assetmanagement, the role of operational readiness in preventing value erosion between projects and operations, and why transparency, clear ownership of assumptions, and cross-functional alignment matter more than tools or certifications.

For leaders navigating short-term pressures, long assetlifespans, and growing volatility, this conversation offers a grounded, experience-based perspective on resilience as a strategy-not by trying to predict the future, but by staying in control and being prepared for it.

Leading multiple countries across Asia Pacific requires far more than operational excellence—it demands deep cultural understanding, intentional relationship-building, and the strategic ability to represent your region within a global enterprise. In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, host Sarah Nicastro sits down with Madhu Oza, Director of Global Technical and Service Excellence for APAC at Abbott Laboratories, to explore what it takes to build trust, bridge cultural divides, and amplify regional impact while maintaining alignment with global standards. Whether you're navigating the complexities of international leadership or looking to elevate your team's impact on the world stage, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to help you lead with cultural intelligence and authenticity.

In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, host Sarah Nicastro sits down with Greg Crumpton, VP at ServiceLogic and founder of DeepKnowledge, to explore how curiosity and contrarian thinking drive innovation, why respecting local expertise beats corporate control, and how modern leaders can build cultures where people actually want to stay. Whether you're navigating acquisition-led growth, scaling teams across generations, or struggling with the shift from command-and control management, this conversation is packed with hard-won wisdom on trust, mutual respect, and what it really takes to lead today. 

In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, host Sarah Nicastro sits down with Greg Crumpton, VP at ServiceLogic and founder of DeepKnowledge, to explore how curiosity and contrarian thinking drive innovation, why respecting local expertise beats corporate control, and how modern leaders can build cultures where people actually want to stay. Whether you're navigating acquisition-led growth, scaling teams across generations, or struggling with the shift from command-and-control management, this conversation is packed with hard-won wisdom on trust, mutual respect, and what it really takes to lead today. 

Host Sarah Nicastro welcomes Jeffrey Yip, Associate Professor of Management and Organizational Studies at Simon Fraser University, who teaches leadership in the Executive MBA and Management of Technology programs, conducts research that addresses managerial challenges in work relationships and leading change, and has contributed to resources like HBR and Psychology Today. Jeff shares the need for leaders to listen to organizational pain through a process called “painstorming” and explains how doing so can significantly improve change management.